the president sat between house speakerjohnboehnerandsenate majority leader harry reid calling for cooperation and compromise. >> we've got to make sure that taxes don't go up on middle-class families, that our economy remains strong, that we're creating jobs, and that's an agenda that democrats and republicans and independents, people all across the country, share. so, our challenge is to make sure that, you know, we are able to cooperate together, work together. >> joining me now for more, congressional reporter for "the washington post" ed o'keefe and national journal correspondent nancy cook. good morning both of you. last time we saw those three together, sort of a kumbayah moment when you have reid and boehner and mcconnell together. did you get a sense, ed, putting revenue on the table meant republicans were open to tax hikes for those makes $250,000 or more? >> no, they're not. they still say they don't want to see that increase. by talking about revenues the idea is you close loopholes, find a way to perhaps limit deductions and create revenue that way. but you know, b

directly at odds with house speakerjohnboehner. >>could you accept a deal that does not include tax rate increases for the wealthy? we've seen talk about a possible compromise that could leave rates the same but cap deductions for high-income earners. is that something that's acceptable? >> no. >> not at all no, way? >> no. the preponderance made it very clear in his campaign that there are not enough -- what you just described is a formula and a blueprint for hampering our future. you cannot go forward -- you have to cut some investments. if you cut too many you are hampering growth, you're hampering education, investments for the future. >> and even thousands of miles away it appears president obama is still focused on those negotiations. while touring a royal monastery with secretary of state clinton in thailand the president was overheard mentioning the budget talks to a monk. the president later clarified his comments -- >> he's not any monk. >> no. >> he has some big i vestments in the stock market. >> he later clarified his comments at a news conference. >> yes, we were working on

. the biggest unknown variable here is what the republican conference is going to do andwhetherboehnercanrally the guys to get them on board. that is the biggest question here, because no matter what they decide among the leaders, they have to get it past the house and the senate. >> and you know, there is also compromise idea being floated around right now to keep the rates the same, but eliminate the deductions for the rich. nancy pelosi making her position on that very, very clear. take a listen to this. >> is that something that is acceptable? >> no. >> nott all, no way? >> no, the president made it very clear in his campaign that there is not enough, there are not enough resources -- what you just described as a formula and a blueprint for hammering our future. >> you know, dana, if she is hardening her stance here as we watch the rhetoric, does it matter here, because nancy p pelosi, really, how big of a seat does she have at the table right now? >> no. she is, and something of a highchair at this point. she is not particularly relevant to this debate. the president was nowhere nea

and the ongoing relationshipwithboehnerandmcconnell because he's going to have to be a different kind of leader with them. he talked about it in the press conference a bit the other day. he needs to reach out to them the way he's reached out to people on staten island and dealt with the two governors, christie and cuomo, who are two pretty demanding guys as well. and based on their public and private comments have been very happy with the president's leadership and his government. >> i just wonder if it's fair to make a parallel when you look at the president's response to sandy which has had and continues to have just devastating effects on the economy for businesses and the reaction to the bp oil spill which seemed slow in coming because that was devastating as well to a different part of the country. >> he certainly was. he was very slow to respond to people in the gulf coast. >> in terms of appearances. >> i think things have changed, though, over the past couple years. and i suspect that, you know, even the president's closest allies will say that it was a very hard adjustment go